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Controlling the Message Through Screening...
Rush frequently says "liberal callers" are welcome, implying that he operates an honest and open arena for the exchange of ideas. The imppression
Rush creates with this assertion is contradicted by the screening process to which callers are subjected. Loyal listeners seem to willfully forget that the Rush Limbaugh Show
is a carefully managed profit seeking entity. While "liberal callers" sometimes make it on air, they are typically the ones who don't pose much of a threat to the rhetoric Limbaugh
uses to appeal to his audience. As demonstrated by the experience of the following would-be "liberal caller", an effort is made by the Rush Limbaugh Show to screen out knowledgeable
people who can pose well reasoned arguments to Limbaugh's assertions.
From: Robert Render
Subject: Liberal Call
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2005 10:43:30 -0500
I am a lawyer in KY. Last week I heard the show b/c I was driving to court in another county. Rush was
spewing hate about the supreme court decision regarding the juvenile death penalty. He was going off about
how the court affirmed the juvenile death penalty 15 years ago and that the "precedent" should stand.
I couldn't help myself. I called the show. I actually reached the screener. I told him that Rush's
comments displayed a naive understanding of "precedent" - that just because a case was decided in one way
at one time doesn't mean that it's written in stone and should never be revisited or overturned. If that
was so, then Roe v. Wade should stand forever. Also, Rush didn't cite the 15 year old case, and didn't
tell us the facts or what the court really had to say in that particular case. I was actually able to
speak to the screener, who, after hearing what I wanted to say, started arguing with me.
He said, "You're probably one of those lawyers that would defend trash like this." I said, "Don't start
about lawyers. Rush has a fine lawyer defending him in Florida." He said, "Well, I guess you just want
to adopt this kid and take him home to kill your family." I said, "That's ridiculous. His conviction
wasn't overturned. He's now serving a life sentence." He said, "Well, you might have a sheepskin from a
fancy law school, but you're out of step with the mainstream on this issue." I said, "It looks like I'm
in step with the mainstream of the court. Now, I called to speak to Rush, not you." He said, "Well
you're not gonna speak to Rush!", and slammed the receiver down, breaking th connection.
This week I was in my car again, turned on the show, and heard Rush holding forth on how Dan Rather's
career ended in shame. I called using my cell phone again, wanting to comment that Rush had better be
more careful about tempting karma that way. I actually got the screener again. I said, "I want to make
a comment." He said, "Goodbye.", and hung up.
The next ime Rush talks about how he allows liberal callers, I will know from personal experience it's
a damn lie.
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So what does this mean to Rush's legions of fans? Here was a caller who is quite knowledgable about law and offered an educated
perspective on a matter Rush was talking about on air. Hearing this caller would have been beneficial to the millions tuning in.
Agree or not with the SCOTUS decision, the caller's thoughts would have advanced the understanding of an important issue our society must resolve.
But because his ideas did not comport with the message that sells the program to listeners and therefore makes advertisers willing
to buy time, the listeners did not get to hear this perspective.
The Rush Limbaugh Show is a media business that subjugates truth and perspective to message crafting. Listeners become highly misinformed in the process.
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